Natural

People often assume that homosexuality only occurs amongst humans. But according to American biologist Bruce Bagemihl it seems that not a single animal species is strictly heterosexual. In 2004 he published a book on the homosexual behaviour of more than 470 animal species. He describes male giraffes that wrap their necks around each other as part of their foreplay and masculine lions that mount each other. He also describes male orangutans that satisfy each other orally (blow jobs), hippopotami that participate in homo-erotic orgies, vampire bats that get erections when they groom each other and lesbian seagulls that hatch their eggs together. Even hedgehogs, ostriches, lizards, trout and fruit flies show homosexual behaviour. And these are not once-off excesses. All the animals described by Bagemihl show regular homosexual behaviour.

Of course homosexuality is natural! It is still believed that sexual orientation most likely occurs during embryonic development – in the development phase from fertilized egg to baby. In any case this supercedes the theory of the discovery of a “homo-gene”. Homosexuality has always existed and cannot just be delegated to the “unnatural”.

Only humans judge. Nature doesn’t. Some people will always find a reason to condemn homosexuality. Either way it is clear that in nature everything is possible. There are animals that are simultaneously male and female, animals that can change their gender, animals that masturbate, bi-sexual animals and animals that behave like the opposite sex. One thing stands out: animals don’t condemn homosexual behaviour. Nature does not judge. Humans are unique in this sense. Maybe that is what is un-natural.